Western Michigan University signs reverse transfer agreement with Wayne County Community College District

KALAMAZOO, MI — Western Michigan
University has inked yet another reverse transfer agreement with a Michigan community
college – its ninth so far.

WMU President John Dunn, at the Board of Trustees meeting in July.Steph Anderson Chambers | MLive.com/Kalamazoo Gazette

Two more are in the works, the university said.

Under the agreement, which was which was signed
by WMU President John Dunn and WCCCD Chancellor Curtis Ivery, Wayne County
Community College District students will be able to combine WCCCD and WMU credits to earn an associate degree.

"We're thrilled
to further develop our partnership with WMU and provide additional options for
students who are seeking a better life through higher education," said Ivery in
a statement. "This partnership is an excellent example of the type of
cooperation in higher education that directly benefits our students and
increases their opportunities to complete a four-year degree."

The reverse
transfer agreement is just the latest in a growing partnership between the two
institutions. In February, the two signed a "two-plus-two" agreement that
allows WCCCD students to transfer to WMU after two years.

Instead of moving
across state to the main campus in Kalamazoo, though, they can take advanced courses at WCCCD's
University Center in Harper Woods. (Under the agreement, the students will take
a mix of online and traditional classes.) In
addition, WMU also has office and advising space at WCCCD's Northwest Campus on
West Outer Drive in Detroit.

WMU has been
establishing a greater presence on the east side of the state since at least
2010, when it opened a regional location in Royal Oak to act as a base for its
Detroit-area operations.

"Future plans call for even more opportunities for Southeast
Michigan traditional and nontraditional students to enroll in WMU degree
programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels," WMU said in a press
release.

Under the terms
of the new agreement, transfer students who have earned at least
15 credits at WCCCD can apply for an associate degree using credits
earned at WMU. For students who leave the community college earlier, this will allow them to add a credential to
their resume, which would be available if they needed to join the work force
before finishing their bachelor's degree.

"This
reverse transfer agreement works to strengthen our joint commitment to
students," Dunn said in a statement. "It is one more signal to our
students that our focus is squarely on them and our intent, always, is to do
whatever we can to maximize their future options."

Yvonne Zipp is a reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette, a part of the MLive Media Group. You can reach her at yzipp@mlive.com or 269-365-8639.